


Something to Fight For

by PeriodDramaWriter



Category: Downton Abbey
Genre: Baby Bates - Freeform, Downton Abbey - Freeform, F/M, Family, Hurt and comfort, John and Anna, Love, Newborn, Prison, Romance, Strength, Wedding Night, banna - Freeform, daughter - Freeform, otp, season 2/3 AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-29
Updated: 2018-09-29
Packaged: 2019-07-20 10:31:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,476
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16135403
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PeriodDramaWriter/pseuds/PeriodDramaWriter
Summary: Have you ever wondered what would have happened if Anna had fallen pregnant on her wedding night? Would things have been different for she and John? Would she have had the time to go out and search for evidence to clear his name; would he have even allowed her to do in her condition? How would she have coped on her own whilst he was locked away? Find out here! Please review :)!





	Something to Fight For

Anna’s heart pounded violently within her chest as she continued to pace slowly back and forth in front of the large mirror in the guest bedroom that had been prepared for her wedding night with John, her breath shaking as she continued to wring her hands nervously and her gaze was fixed upon the pattern of the soft carpet whilst she listened to the sound of the shower from behind the closed en-suite bathroom door. John had left her to get changed with a soft and slow kiss to her forehead before he had gotten into the shower to freshen up a short time ago.

 _‘_ _There’s nothing for you to be worried about, sweetheart.’_ He had reassured her when he had smoothed the backs of his fingers across her cheek and the uncertainty had been clear in her midnight blue eyes, his warm lips capturing her own in a slowly passionate kiss before he had entered the bathroom and closed the door behind himself. She was now stood in front of the mirror in the light yellow negligee that she had purchased a few days ago which ended partway down her thighs and had spaghetti straps, a gentle blush in her cheeks as she thought about what she and John would be indulging in when he came out of the bathroom after his shower.

It wasn’t that she was worried about him being ungentlemanly towards her when they finally got around to consummating their marriage, because she knew that he would treat her with the utmost respect and that he would never push her to do anything she wasn’t comfortable with, but it was the thought of disappointing him that worried her and made her feel sick to her stomach. He was obviously experienced when it came to lovemaking, considering he had been married once before, and she was just so…inexperienced.

She didn’t have much time for brooding, however, considering the bathroom door squeaked softly upon its hinges as it opened a few moments later and John made his way slowly into the bedroom with his dressing gown tied around his body. She turned to face him with a small smile that did nothing to mask her nervousness as he wiped the final few droplets of water away from the back of his neck with his towel before hanging it carefully over the chair by the door and making his way over to her, resting his strong hands upon her warm shoulders. ‘You look incredible.’ He spoke lovingly to her, sensing her worry as he stroked her hair.

Her deep blue eyes sparkled gently when she allowed herself to rest her palms upon his strong chest through the thick material of his dressing gown and he dropped his hands slowly down to her slight waist, slipping his arms securely around her middle before he drew her close until their chests met. ‘Kiss me.’ She whispered as she brushed her thumb against the slight glimpse of dark hair that showed from the opening of his dressing gown, drawing her lower lip through her teeth as a nervous habit of hers. He couldn’t stop the warm smile from appearing upon his lips as he gazed down at the beautiful woman in his arms, unable to fathom that she was now his wife and he was entitled to hold her in his arms and kiss her whenever he pleased to do so.

Bringing one hand up to cup her cheek beneath the curtain of her long wavy blonde hair, he allowed his thumb to dance across her cheek and tilted her head back in order to softly kiss her lower lip. He felt her slowly beginning to respond as her hand rested upon the side of his neck and she rose up onto her tiptoes in order to better the angle of their mouths, her thumb brushing against his warm flesh as she sighed happily.

‘Oh, my darling.’ He hummed into her mouth as he wrapped his arm back around her waist and she smiled against his lips, her body relaxing in his arms as she felt some of her nervousness escape. Their kisses remained languid and soft as they stood in one another’s embrace for a short time and indulged in slow caresses, the two of them parting with a soft smack when the need for air became too hard to ignore any longer.

When she allowed herself to return back to her small height a short time later and the two of them allowed their foreheads to kiss lightly, she wrapped her arms around his waist and stepped a little further into him. ‘I don’t want you to feel scared about what we’re going to be doing tonight, Anna, because I will never force you to do anything that you’re not ready for.’ His tone was so warm and loving as he spoke against the warm skin of her temple and his palms ran soothingly along the curve of her spine through the fabric of her negligee, her eyes fluttering closed of their own accord as she revelled in his heavenly lips brushing softly against her warm skin.

She stroked the tip of her nose lightly against his own as a gentle sigh escaped her a few moments later and she allowed her eyes to flutter open, the corners of her mouth curling up into a small smile. ‘I’m not worried about you being disrespectful towards me, Mr. Bates, because I know you wouldn’t put me through that.’ She admitted as her hands slid back down to his chest and he held her waist warmly, her eyes sparkling with love for him as she brushed her thumbs against the soft fabric of his dressing gown. ‘I’m just worried that I’m going to be a disappointment to you because of my inexperience towards making love. You’ve been married before and you obviously gained some experience with lovemaking, but I’d never even kissed or been kissed by a man before you came back from London. You’re the only man that I’ve ever actually kissed.’ She blushed as she fixed her gaze upon an invisible spot on his chest and she could feel him stroke the soft blonde hair at the back of her head, his finger hooking gently beneath her chin as he directed her gaze back up to his.

‘Do you have any idea of how much of an honour that is to me?’ He stroked his thumb softly against the warm skin of her chin as he gazed into her stormy blue eyes and her cheeks had taken on a slight shade of red, a soft giggle escaping her when he cupped the roundness of her cheek in his palm and kissed her hairline lingeringly. ‘I cherish the fact that I was your first kiss, darling, and knowing that just makes me fall all the more in love with you.’ She let out a soft sigh of relief before slipping her arms back around his middle and stepping closer to them so that their chests touched gently. ‘I don’t care that you’re inexperienced with lovemaking, Anna, because it’s just something that will become more natural to you over time. It’s true that I have more experience with the act, because, like you said, I was married to Vera, but that does not mean that you are going to prove to be a disappointment to me.’ He kissed the crown of her head delicately several times. ‘You never could.’

‘Can we lie on the bed?’ She asked softly when she tilted her head back against his chest and he stroked her fringe gently out of her eyes with a kiss to her temple. ‘It might help to calm me down.’

‘Of course we can.’ He brought her slowly away from him before taking her hand in his own and kissing the back of it lingeringly, a small smile upon her lips when he led her over to the bed and helped her to get comfortable upon the mattress before propping the large pillows up behind her. ‘Are you comfortable enough?’ He caressed her face with the side of his hand, Anna nodding gently.

Once he had made his way around to the other side of the bed and carefully climbed onto it beside her, he slipped his arm securely around her shoulders before bringing her to snuggle against his chest with a slow kiss to her forehead. Anna then lay her head down upon his shoulder and draped her arm slowly over his middle before tangling her leg with his own and nuzzling her face into the side of his neck. ‘I could get rather used to cuddling with you like this.’ She smiled as she felt John slowly starting to run his palm along the curve of her side through the thin material of her negligee, his breath warm against her skin when he hummed against her hairline in response.

The two of them lay in a comfortable silence for a time as they listened to the gentle patting of the rain against the window panes, his fingertips sliding soothingly through her hair. ‘Can I take your dressing gown off?’ She asked softly as she ran her hand along his chest a few moments later, a sense of uncertainty in her deep blue eyes when he turned his head slowly towards her with a gentle smile upon his face.

‘You don’t need to ask.’ He reassured her with a light kiss to the tip of her nose. ‘You’re my wife, Anna, you can do whatever you like.’ She brushed a gentle kiss against his lips as her silent response. Sitting up slowly once he had unwrapped his arm from around her waist in order to rest his hand comfortingly upon her upper back, she began to slowly pull the end of the loose knot that he had tied with the belt of his dressing gown.

Once the article of clothing had fallen open once she had undone the knot and she ran her hands slowly along the front of his strong chest, she couldn’t help but smile at how strong his torso actually was. His chest was covered in a thick layer of dark hair that she ran her fingers through, sighing at the feeling of it slipping so easily between her fingers. ‘I love you.’ She whispered when their eyes met and he wore a gentle smile whilst she continued to run her hands along his chest, his strong hand coming up to settle upon the side of her neck when she leaned down to capture his warm lips in a kiss that was both tender and passionate all at once.

‘Mr. Bates?’ She breathed when they parted a few moments later and she was practically laying on top of him, John humming in reply as he placed light kisses along her neck. ‘Make love to me.’

He didn’t need to be told twice.

* * *

 

…

It was the early hours of the following morning when Anna and John were snuggled up together beneath the luxurious quilt of the bed in the guest bedroom and his arms were wrapped protectively around her waist whilst her head lay upon his shoulder, her eyes half-lidded as he brushed his thumb against her warm skin and her leg was tangled warmly with his beneath the safety of the sheets. Turning his head slowly to drink in his bride’s natural beauty, he couldn’t stifle the soft chuckle of adoration that escaped him at her contented state as she ran her hand across his chest and there was a sleepy smile upon her lips. ‘Comfortable by any chance?’ He smiled as he brushed a soft strand of blonde hair back beneath her ear and kissed her brow-bone lingeringly, tightening his hold around her slim waist as she snuggled further into him with a tender and lingering kiss to his warm cheek.

‘Mmm, I might be.’ She giggled with a beautiful glint in her stormy blue eyes as she traced his jaw with the tip of her index finger. ‘What about you?’ He pressed his forehead gently against her own.

‘Extremely.’ He smiled.

‘We’ve got four hours until we need to leave this room and get ready for the day.’ She hummed as she buried her face into the side of his neck and he ran his hand along the curve of her spine. ‘I want to sleep and yet I don’t, because I just want tonight to last forever.’ She pressed a kiss into his neck.

‘I know, sweetheart.’ He chuckled softly into her hair before kissing the side of her head. ‘There’s something that we do need to address though, darling, something that we can’t ignore any longer.’

‘Don’t.’ Her body went stiff in his arms as her voice took on a slightly firmer tone, a gentle sigh escaping her as she relaxed slightly a few moments later and he turned his head towards her to see the soft tears sparkling in her midnight blue eyes. ‘Not tonight, Mr. Bates, please. If you want to talk about it in the morning then we can, but can we please let the fact that we’re man and wife be enough? Just for this one night at least?’ He pressed soft kisses to her forehead, nose and then lips.

‘Alright, my love.’ He soothed as he ran his fingers leisurely through her soft blonde locks and she gazed at him with nothing but pure love and a slight hint of fear in her eyes, a soft smile on her lips. ‘We won’t discuss it tonight, but we must in the morning.’ She nodded sleepily. ‘You’re exhausted, my darling, and no wonder after the day you’ve had. Why don’t you try and get some sleep, hmm?’

‘Do you promise that you won’t leave me?’ She gazed up at him as the candles slowly began to burn out, the crackling fire in the hearth at the other side of the room casting a warm glow around them. ‘You won’t let go of me, will you, Mr. Bates?’ Her fatigue was clear in her beautifully gentle voice.

‘I’m not going anywhere.’ He promised her before placing his fingertip beneath her chin, tilting her head back and planting a soft and tender kiss upon her perfectly rosy lips. ‘Now close your eyes and try and fall asleep, Anna; you know what you’re like when you’ve not had a proper night’s sleep.’

The slight smirk upon his lips made her giggle as he drew her closer and she curled into his side, her head resting upon his collarbone as she released a deep sigh and allowed her eyes to flutter closed of their own accord. ‘Goodnight, Mr. Bates.’ She smiled sleepily, draping her arm lightly over his torso.

‘Goodnight, my lovely Mrs. Bates.’ He kissed her head. ‘Sleep well.’


End file.
